|
 ANY
individuals become nonsmokers every day without professional help and with
only the desire to achieve their goal of finding freedom from an
overpowering—and, at its psychological core, self-destructive—habit.
For, despite the glamor attributed to it by the tobacco, entertainment, and
advertising industries, smoking does nothing to enhance life and everything
to pollute and defile it. But you already know that, or you wouldn’t
be reading information about how to stop smoking.
So, as you set
out to become a nonsmoker, you will discover two things: smoking involves
an addiction to nicotine, and it involves a pattern of habitual
behaviors.
1. |
For some
individuals, the nicotine
addiction can be overcome simply through
“will power,” while for other individuals nicotine patches or nicotine
gum may be of help.
The nicotine
addiction actually uses a deceptively simple, yet lethal, “trick.”
Most smokers started smoking during a stage of
identity
formation or crisis in which they felt psychologically empty within themselves
and wanted some way to make themselves feel accepted by the world around
them. For example, adolescents who have seen adults smoking will believe
that if they start smoking then they, too, will appear powerful and
glamorous.
But once the
nicotine gets into your body, it enslaves you to a continuous need for it.
Like a deadly parasite, nicotine takes over your body so that you value this
deadly chemical more than anything else in life, more even than life itself.
So there you are, helpless and cowering in a cold doorway, damp with rain,
desperately sucking the illusion of life out of a reeking cigarette. And
all the while you’re thinking to yourself, in your bleak emptiness,
“This is life?” And all the while, you fear
that, without smoking, life will be bleak and empty.
|
|
2. |
Overcoming
habitual
behaviors involves deliberate, repeated
attempts to break old patterns—patterns that make cigarettes seem like
“old friends” whose absence causes life to feel flat and
empty.
There can be
many reasons, some completely outside your awareness, that keep you hanging
on to those old enemies in friends’ clothing. Some individuals, for
example, have such a profound
unconscious
sense of
despair
and self-loathing that smoking aptly serves a dark wish for self-destruction.
But by becoming a non-smoker you can reclaim the self-respect that you have
been throwing away up until now. |
|
And
remember—many persons who successfully become nonsmokers will have had
at least one setback, because “just one puff” easily rekindles
old patterns.
REASONS FOR BECOMING A NONSMOKER |
Ask yourself why you want to quit smoking. Write down your
five most
important reasons on an index
card. Review these reasons several times
a day, especially when you’re tempted to reach for a cigarette. In fact,
tape a card to your cigarette pack. Below are some
suggestions.
• |
Stopping smoking will strengthen
my heart, improve my breathing capacity, and bolster my circulatory
system. |
• |
Stopping smoking will increase my
immune response to colds, flu, and other diseases. |
• |
When I stop smoking I will be more
productive in all that I do. |
• |
Stopping smoking will help me cut
down on drinking. |
• |
As a non-smoker I will be setting
a good example for children. |
• |
When I stop smoking I will breathe
more easily and won’t have morning cough or phlegm. |
• |
When I stop smoking my senses of
smell and taste will improve. |
• |
Stopping smoking will help lower
my blood pressure. |
• |
When I stop smoking I will have more
energy. |
• |
When I stop smoking I will feel more
liberated and self-assured. |
• |
When I stop smoking I will feel more
in command of my life. |
• |
When I stop smoking I will be part
of an increasingly nonsmoking society. |
• |
Stopping smoking will help protect
my unborn baby from Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) and decrease the risk
of spontaneous abortion (miscarriage). |
• |
Stopping smoking will help protect
the health of other persons from Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS).
|
|
Have you ever
heard someone say, “My wife wants me to stop smoking. Even my four
year old daughter wants me to stop smoking. I really love them, but I just
can’t quit”? Well, as hard as it sounds, this man is really
choosing to set his own pleasure above the health of his family. So ask yourself:
What kind of love is this? Where is the
“love” in an
unconscious wish to destroy
himself and his family? Real love, though, can be found in stopping
smoking for the sake of others—for their good and for your
good. |
|
|
|
It can help greatly to plan deliberately for a “Quit
Day,” whether several weeks or only a few days away. This planning will
prepare you psychologically to break old habits, and it will make smoking
more focused and more difficult until the Quit Day arrives. Here are some
suggestions:
• |
Repeat to yourself, several times
a day, your reasons for wanting to become a nonsmoker. |
• |
Don’t do anything else when
you smoke except focus on the sensations of smoking. |
• |
When you feel the urge to smoke,
delay lighting up so as to focus your mind on what you are trying to
accomplish. |
• |
Keep a record of every cigarette
you smoke, and review it daily. |
• |
Change to brands that have less
nicotine. |
• |
Smoke fewer cigarettes. |
• |
Smoke less of each cigarette. |
• |
Inhale fewer puffs of each
cigarette. |
• |
Cut back on the coffee you
drink. |
• |
Refuse any cigarettes offered to
you. |
• |
Allow your ashtrays to fill up without
emptying them. |
• |
Stop carrying matches and
lighters. |
• |
When you can, avoid situations that
trigger your urge to smoke. |
• |
Brush your teeth after every meal
and notice how “fresh breath” feels. |
• |
Start exercising regularly. |
• |
Let people know that you will be
quitting smoking. |
• |
Enjoy picturing yourself mentally
as a nonsmoker. |
• |
Mentally imagine the
“rewards” you will receive by being a nonsmoker.
|
|
How often were
you criticized and humiliated as a child by your parents? How often did you
then condemn yourself for being worthless and inadequate? And how often do
you reach for a cigarette out of unconscious anger
as a secret wish to carry out that condemnation?
 Isn’t it time
to give yourself a break? |
|
|
|
COPING WITH WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS |
Smoking withdrawal symptoms include cravings; tension, anxiety,
irritability, and restlessness; numbness in arms and legs; dizziness; coughing;
and hunger.
Some symptoms
are related specifically to nicotine withdrawal, while other symptoms are
the result of your body returning to a healthy state and recovering from
your habitual abuse of toxic cigarette smoke. If you stop smoking by using
nicotine patches or nicotine gum, you may not experience all the symptoms
described.
• |
You can
stop a
craving
by focusing your attention on something else. Cravings usually last for only
a couple minutes, so an attention diversion need only be immediate and
consistent, not complicated. |
|
• |
Muscle
tension, anxiety, irritability, and
restlessness can be reduced by using a variety
of
relaxation
techniques such as
Progressive
Muscle Relaxation or
Autogenics. |
|
• |
You may
feel tingling sensations or
numbness in your arms and legs. These sensations
usually indicate improved circulation taking place as a result of your body
experiencing freedom from the poisons in tobacco smoke. |
• |
You may
at times feel dizzy or
lightheaded. These sensations usually mean
that more oxygen is getting into your brain now that the carbon monoxide
associated with smoking is no longer present. |
• |
Some people
find themselves
coughing
more after quitting smoking than before. The reason for this is that the
cilia that line the lungs are working to clean out all the tars and other
debris in your lungs. |
• |
Increased
hunger is a common withdrawal symptom. To
avoid weight gain, it is important to exercise regularly, drink lots of
water,[1] and have plenty of low-fat foods available for snacks
and meals. |
|
In general, changing unwanted behavior involves three basic
steps:
1. |
Knowing how ugly
the behavior is and how much damage it causes to yourself and to
others. |
|
2. |
Knowing the damage
caused by the behavior. |
3. |
Knowing the benefits
of new behavior. |
Note carefully,
though, that in trying to overcome an addiction you will immediately encounter
a frustrating paradox: thinking about the negative
consequences of an addiction will only increase the desire for the addictive
substance. So why does this happen? Well, the
psychological defense at the core of any addiction
is denial, so when contemplating any negative idea (such as getting
cancer from smoking), your mind will crave the intense pleasure of the addiction
as a way to override (i.e., deny) the frightening idea.
Therefore, even
though it is important to know the negative consequences of the addiction,
the fear of those consequences in itself won’t be nearly so much
a motivation for overcoming the addiction as will be the hope of positive
changes. Consequently, those positive changes need to be visualized very,
very clearly.
So here is how
to do it. Practice the following procedure at least twice a day until you
no longer need it.
First,
enter a state of relaxation. This is important
because the next two steps (if done properly) will arouse considerable anxiety,
and you need to be able to reduce that anxiety again. You may use any form
of relaxation you prefer, such as Progressive Muscle
Relaxation. If you have no prior practice with relaxation techniques,
try this simple breathing exercise:
|
Begin a process
of deep breathing, exhaling to a mental count that is twice as long
as you inhale. With each breath cycle, increase the duration. For instance,
inhale counting, “One,” exhale counting, “One,
Two.” Inhale counting, “One, Two;” exhale counting,
“One, Two, Three, Four.” Go up the scale to six counts in,
twelve counts out. Then reverse: six counts in, twelve counts out;
five counts in, ten counts out; and so on, down to one count in,
two counts out. |
|
Second,
create a negative mood state in which you visualize the harmful and disgusting
effects of the unwanted behavior. Instead
of defending your behavior—to yourself and to others—see the smoking
addiction for what it is in all its gruesome reality. For example, smell
the stench of the smoke on your clothes and body; see the stains on your
fingers and teeth; notice your shortness of breath and coughing; visualize
the poisons coating your lungs and other internal organs. After the intense
negativity of this mood has been felt fully, use your relaxation technique
to neutralize the anxiety of these negative visualizations and return to
a peaceful state of mind.
Third,
contemplate how miserable and wretched your life will be if you do not change
your behavior. For example, see yourself
wheezing for breath and dying of cancer. Imagine other persons around you
encouraged in their own addictions because of your negative influence. Then
use your relaxation technique to neutralize the anxiety of these negative
visualizations and return to a peaceful state of mind.
Now come the
most important steps.
Fourth,
create a positive mood state in which you visualize the beneficial effects
of new, healthy behavior. For example, see
yourself as calm and confident as a non-smoker, relaxed and able to concentrate,
free of frustration and tension, a positive influence on others. Remember
here your reasons for wanting to stop smoking. Use your relaxation technique
to enjoy a peaceful state of mind with a deep sense of hope for yourself
and love for others.
Fifth,
reinforce your positive mood with positive statements of
validation. Repeat them several times. Create
your own, or select from the following examples.
• |
I have no need for
cigarettes. I am no longer a slave to an addiction. I have no need for
cigarettes. |
• |
When grounded in
quiet relaxation, I can work calmly and confidently. My mind will not wander.
My self-confidence will not be bothered by small mistakes. |
• |
I approach all tasks
with a calm focus on the matter at hand. I do not lose my concentration by
distractions. I act with discipline and resolve. |
• |
I respect my own
body. I can present myself to others with respect and dignity. I will listen
to and respect others. |
• |
I can remain calm,
relaxed, and composed in any situation. |
• |
My calmness and patience
can result in compassion and understanding. I can get along well with anyone.
I will return kindness to any insult. |
• |
My experience of
peace and calm is not threatened by anything outside myself. I have no need
for rivals or jealousy. I wish peace and good to all persons. |
• |
There are no
“good” days or “ bad” days.
I can do what needs to be done at all times. I uphold my promises and value
my word. |
Sixth,
conclude with a simple closure to the relaxation
session. Take a few deep breaths and affirm
that “I feel supremely calm.”
|
|
 |
No
advertising—no sponsor—just the simple truth . . .
|
Did this information help you to
stop smoking? Well, consider the cost of all the cigarettes you have smoked,
and are no longer smoking, and then consider the relative cost of a
donation to this website to express your gratitude for my help.
|
Notes:
1.
Drink about a glass of water per hour, even if you do not feel thirsty.
It’s true that you can put yourself into a state of water intoxication
(hyposmolality/hyponatremia) if you really work at it, but if you drink only
a glass (8 oz—or 250 ml) of water per hour you would be well below the
maximum recommended ½ qt/hr (500 ml/hr) in moderate temperatures and
easy work load. See:
Kolka MA, Latzka WA, Montain SJ, Corr WP, O’Brien KK,
Sawka MN. Effectiveness of revised fluid replacement guidelines for military
training in hot weather. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine
2003; 74:242–246.
Additional
Resources
General Information:
Assessing
Nicotine Dependence is an article from the American Family
Physician.
Do
I Want to Quit Smoking? is a patient handout from the American
Family Physician.
Health
Impact details the health implications of smoking; from the
Tobacco Free Initiative of the World Health Organization.
Treating
Tobacco Use and Dependence from
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Using
the Nicotine Patch, Nicotine Gum, Nicotine Nasal Spray or Nicotine Inhaler
from American Family Physician.
Other stop-smoking
resources:
QuitSmokingSupport.com
is a resource guide for help with quitting.
Catholic
Recommendations for Stopping Smoking provides guidance in using
faith and prayer for help with stopping smoking.
QuitNet provides
help with quitting, a library of resources, news items, links, and an online
support system for people who want to quit smoking.
Related pages within A Guide to Psychology
and its Practice:
Autogenics
Training
Death—and the Seduction
of Despair
Hypnosis and
“Negative” Hypnosis
Identity—and
Loneliness
Progressive Muscle
Relaxation
Questions and Answers
about Psychotherapy
Sexuality and
Love
Stress and
Psychology
The Unconscious
CONTACT ME
INDEX of all subjects
on this website
SEARCH this
website
|
|
|
|
|
|
FOR THE SAKE OF TRUTH this website
about the practice of Clinical Psychology does not accept any advertising.
Therefore, if my work has been informative
and helpful to you, please send a donation in appreciation,
even if it’s only a few dollars, to help offset my costs in making this
website available to everyone without advertising.
Gratitude is joy
to the heart!
Raymond Lloyd Richmond,
Ph.D.
San Francisco
Credentials
Contact
Me
Psychology is a complex subject,
and many issues are interrelated. And so, even though you may find a topic
of interest on one particular page, an exploration of the other pages will
deepen your understanding of the human mind and heart.
Psychological Practice
To Become a
Psychologist
Choosing a
Psychologist
Confidentiality
Consumer Rights and
Office Policies
Honesty in Psychological
Treatment
Legal Issues
The Limits of
Psychology
Managed Care and
Insurance
Other Applications
of Psychology
Psychology: Clinical
and Counseling
Psychology and
Psychiatry
Questions and Answers
about
Psychotherapy
Termination of
Psychotherapy
Types of Psychological
Treatment
Clinical Issues
Becoming a
Nonsmoker
Depression and
Suicide
Diagnosis in Clinical
Psychology
Dream
Interpretation
Fear
Fear of Flying:
Information
Hypnosis and
“Negative” Hypnosis
Medical Factors Affecting
Psychology
Medication Issues
Psychological
Testing
Questions and Answers
about
Psychotherapy
Reasons to Consult
a Psychologist
Repressed
Memories
The Psychology of
“Stress”
Trauma and PTSD
Types of Psychological
Treatment
The Unconscious
Social Issues
Adolescent
Violence
Anger
Family Therapy
Forgiveness
The Psychology of
Terrorism
Sexuality and
Love
Spirituality and
Psychology
Spiritual
Healing
Personality and Identity
Death—and the Seduction
of Despair
Identity and
Loneliness
Personality
Sexuality and
Love
Trauma—and
PTSD
Stress Management
Autogenics
Training
Hypnosis and
“Negative” Hypnosis
Progressive Muscle
Relaxation
The Psychology of
“Stress”
Systematic
Desensitization
Fear of Flying
Aviation
Links
Basic Principles
of Aircraft Flight
Fear of Flying:
Information
Fear of Flying:
Treatment
Hypnosis and
“Negative” Hypnosis
Systematic
Desensitization
Self-help
Anger
Autogenics
Training
Becoming a
Nonsmoker
Progressive Muscle
Relaxation
Questions and Answers
about
Psychotherapy
Systematic
Desensitization
Trauma Support
Groups
Personal Information
Consultation
Information
Contact Me
Education and
Affiliations
Feedback Form
Introduction
Privacy Policy of
this Website
HOME
SEARCH
There is no
advertising on this website.
|
|
Throughout this
website, my goal is simply to help you realize that although life can be
painful, unfair, and brutal, it doesn’t have to be misery.
The practice of good clinical psychology involves something—call it
comfort—which does not mean sympathy or soothing, and it certainly
doesn’t mean to have your pain “taken away.” It really means
to be urged on to take up the cup of your destiny, with courage and
honesty. |
 his is a
FREEWILL WEBSITE with NO
ADVERTISING. If you find this page to be informative and helpful,
please send a
donation to
this website in gratitude, as a “down-payment” on the success of
your hopes!
|
|
|
|
|
If this website has helped
you, then